Bio

Tamworth-born Erin Cleaver was diagnosed with right-sided hemiparesis, a form of cerebral palsy, when she was one, after her family noticed she walked with a limp. She first competed in athletics as a student at Barraba Central School in northern New South Wales, but did not think any more of it until she visited a specialist in Sydney who recommended she pursue athletics as a recognised athlete with a disability.

Erin first competed as a T38-classified athlete at the 2013 NSW Combined High Schools Athletics Carnival and took home a gold medal in each of the four events she entered (100m, 200m, long jump and javelin). In little over two years, and under the guidance of Newcastle-based sprint and jump coach, Shaun Fletcher, Erin debuted for Australia at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar. There she landed a personal best (4.45m), earning a 4th place finish among the world’s top contenders. She also competed in the 100m sprint and the 4x100m relay, in a team comprising champion up-and-comer Isis Holt, Jodi Elkington-Jones and Ella Pardy. The girls crossed the line for 3rd but were disqualified for an illegal second change.

Following Erin’s success at the Championships, the Hunter Academy of Sport awarded her the best individual performance gong. Working towards her dream of competing at the Paralympic Games, Erin performed strongly at the 2016 Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney. She won bronze in the 200m and placed 5th in long jump.

Erin donned the green and gold for Australia at the 2016 Paralypic Games in Rio, where she won bronze in the 4x100m relay and was just 2cm from medalling in the long jump.

She considers hers a very mild disability and says that the only challenge she faces is the distance she has to travel to use NSW Institute of Sport facilities. This determined young athlete hopes to be awarded an Australian univrsity scholarship, and to still be competing in ten years’ time.

Off the track and field, Erin enjoys going to the movies, riding horses, and watching the Lifetime series, Dance Moms.